Method of using offset-webs.



No. 677,736. Patented 1u|y 2, lool.

.1. L. FIRM. I

METHOD 0F USING OFFSET WEBS.

(Application led Feb. 23, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

N0. 677,736. Patented luly 2, |901. J. L. FIRM.

METHOD 0F USING UFFSET WEBS.

(Application filed Feb. 23, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

g www JOSEPH L. FIRM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GO-SSPRINTING PRESS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

METHOD OF USING OFFSET-WEBS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,736, dated July 2,1901.

Original application filed January 1l, 1900, Serial No. 938. Divided andthis application filed February 23, 1900. Serial No. 6,13 8- (No model.)

T all whom it r11/ty concern.-

Beit known that LJosEPH LFIRM, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain newand usefullmprovement in Methods of UsingOffset-Webs, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an im proved method of handling the web of arotary printing- 1o press, in conjunction with an offset web or webs, soas to prevent the smearing of the printing-surfaces when they are foldedtogether.

My invention comprises the novel method hereinafter described, andpointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional side Y elevation'of a press,showing devices attached thereto forcarrying out my invention. Fig.

2o 2 is an end elevation of such a press, showing the folding mechanismused from the outside. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the foldingmechanism of such a press from the inside. Fig. 4 is a sectional sideelevation of 2 5 a press, showing devices attached thereto for handlingthe web in a slightly-different manner from that shown in Fig. 1.

The above-mentioned drawings represent a mechanism which may be employedin car- 3o rying out my method; but it is not to be understood that Iconfine myself solely to the use of this particular mechanism for thatpurpose, but herein claim my method irrespective of the'means by whichit is carried out.

3 5 The mechanism herein shown is given simply as an illustration ofmeans by which the method may be carried out. This mechanism is,however, the subject of a patent application filed by me on the 11th dayof January, 1900, Serial No. 93S, of which application this is adivision.

One difficulty found in using a rotary printing-press for magazine Workand other fine printing, and especially where illustrations are used, isthat offsetting from the printed web is difficult of prevention in theusual presses. I have obviated this difficulty by means of the mechanismabove illustrated and by the method which will be hereinafter described.5o

The mechanismV used consists, as herein illustrated, of two banks orsets of printing mechanisms, the upper bank consist-ing of a centralimpression-cylinder D, two form-cylinders C and D, arranged on oppositesides of the impression-cylinder, and inking mechanisms M and K yforsaid form-cylinders. The lower bank of printing mechanisms consists ofsimilar devices-namely, an impressioncylinder E, two form-cylinders Fand G, and 6o inking devices L and M. The web to be printed upon isshown at A suitably supported upon one end of the frame. The Web is ledfrom the roll over the guide-rollers 1 and 2 about impression-cylinderB, thence down- 65 ward and about impression-cylinder E and overguide-rollers 3 and 4, between guide-rollers 5 6 and 7 8, to the formerl0, which is constructed as an ordinary former, which folds the weblongitudinally. The slitter 9 is shown 7o in Fig. 1 in connection withthe pair of guiderollers 5 and 6. An offset-web 21 is shown as passingabout the lower impression-cylinf der E and a roller 20. The roller 2Ois placed at such a distance from the impression-cylinder E that theoffset-web in passing about the impression-cylinder will not have thesame portion thereof registering with the pages upon the printed web ateach revolution. The offset-web 21 is an endless web 8o and takes careof the offset from one side of the printed Web. The offset from theother side of the printed web is taken care of by a second web, which isplaced in the press in the form of a roll I, which is supported insuitable bearings in the upper part of the press-frame just back of theformer 10. The offset-Web from this roll is conducted iirst througheither the pair of guide-rollers 5 6 or 7 8, as desired. In case it isdesired to slitA 9o the offset-webin the construction shown in Fig. 1the Web will be conducted first between the guide-rollers 5 and 6. If itis not desired to slit the web, it may be first conducted between theguide-rollers 7 and 8. The offset- 95 web is thus folded inside of theprinted web.

Both webs after folding pass between the rollers 11 and 12 and thenengage an auxiliary former 13, which has its apex upward y and acts uponthe two webs to partially open them out. The offset-web is thenconducted from this former between guide-rollers 16 and E17 and is thenrolled up into a roll J, which is supported and turned by rollers 18 and19. The printing-web A passes downward and has its two portions broughttogether and is conducted to transverse folders H, which are of aconstruction common in the art and is thereby folded transversely andcnt into page lengths. This transverse folder being well known in theart and not essential to my present invention will not be more fullydescribed. To prevent the printed web from being drawn out with theoffset -web, the folded edge thereof is grasped between rollers 14 and15. It will be seen that the offset- Web I is first foldedlongitudinally with the printed web, and then both are partiallyunfolded and the oset-web rewound, ready for use a second time, whilethe printed web is folded together again and operated upon by anysuitable folding and cutting mechanism.

By the above method of handling the offsetweb it is possible to use arotary press for high-class printing and to fold the printed matter inany manner common in connection with such presses without having theprinted pages smeared by such operation. In consequence of this it maybe possible to use rotary presses for such work, and thus greatlyincrease the rapidity and cheapness of the work.

In Fig. 4 a mechanism is shown for handling the offset-web in aslightly-different manner, the principle, however, remaining the same asthat shown in Fig. 1. In this figure the offset-web is mounted in thesame place, but is conducted from the roll downward beneath guide-roller35, and thence to- 'ward the center of the press beneath a guideroller32, and then about the lower impression-cylinder E. From this point itis conductedvover the guide-roller 3, together with the printed web,both webs being conducted between the guide-rollers 23 and 24. At this-point the printed web isconducted between two turning-bars 25 and 26and then beneath the guide-rollers 27, from which point it is conductedupwardly and between the guiderollers 7 and 8, where it may be actedupon by a slitter 30, if desired. The offset-web after passing betweenthe guide-rollers 23 and 24C is passed about one of the turning-bars,then about a roller 3.1, which lies alongside of and parallel with thedirection of travel of the web, and then over the other turning-bar, bywhich device it is transferred from the upper to the lower side of theprinted web. It

is thence conducted about the guide-roller 28, and thence upwardlybetweenV the guide-rollers 7 and 8, at which point it joins the printedweb, and being beneath the same is folded within it as it passes overthe former 10 in the manner previously described. Byv this method asingle offset-web is made to answer for both sides of the printed web,and the cifset-web 21 (shown in Fig. 1) is done away with.

I claim- 1. The method of protecting webs in printing-presses by the useof an offset-web which consists in folding the printing and offset websVtogether longitudinally and then removing and opening out theoffset-web, substantially as described.

2. The method of protecting a web during printing which consists inrunning an offsetweb therewith and folding ,the two togetherlongitudinally, then opening and rolling up the offset-web,substantially as described.

3. The method of protecting a web during print-ing which consists inrunning an odsetweb therewith and folding the two togetherlongitudinally with the oset-web inside, then partially opening bot-hwebs, removing the offset-web, completing the opening thereof androlling up the same, substantially as described.

4. The method of protecting a web during printing which consists inrunning an offsetweb in contact with the first-printed side of the webwhile printing the opposite side, then transferring the offset-web tothe opposite side of the printed web between the points where it isprinted and folded, substantially as described.

5. The method of protecting a web during printing which consists inrunning an od'setweb in contact with the first-printed side of the webwhile printing the opposite side, then transferring the offset-web tothe opposite side of the printed web, longitudinally folding the twowebs together, and then removing the offset-web from between the foldsof the printed web, substantially as described.

6. The method of protecting a web during printing which consists inrunning an osetweb in contact with the first-printed side of the webwhile printing the opposite side, then transferring the offset-web tothe opposite side of the printed web, longitudinally folding the twowebs together, and then removing the offset-web from between the foldsof the printed web, then rolling up the offsetweb, substantially asdescribed.

JOSEPH L. FIRM.

Vitnesses:

H. L. REYNOLDS, FRED S. KEMPER.

IDO

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